"Hey, Allerdyce, just the grad student I was lookin' for."

Marcy glanced briefly at the detective, "Hey Donnie."

He twitched slightly but didn't move from the door way. He'd been watching her a few minutes, trying to imagine the day she wouldn't be here. "Hear yer shippin' out kinda early."

"Yep." The woman nodded, going back to her work. He entered the morgue, peering over her shoulder to see the shattered remains in front of her.

"What'cha workin' on?"

The bones were small fragments that dirtied the sterile off white gloves she was wearing. The skull was almost complete, but seemed misaligned, and small.

"Why is it-"

"Infant, approximately four to seven weeks older." Marcy's voice was cold, and almost completely void of emotion except the tiniest hint of anger. Her quiet tone is what Don took notice of and put her large hand on her slight shoulder. "Found in a park just outside D.C, in an old gym bag. Three feet underground."

A few tears slipped from her eyes, but she made no move to wipe them away. Instead she simply went back to her robotic movements, but not before putting her shaking hand over Don's a moment.

-

The skeletal remains were resting about a foot away from Marcy when Sid entered. He looked at the table, the tiny remnants of what should now have been a child, than to the young woman staring at them.

And she looked young. Sid had always considered a college, but it was apparent now. She was still inexperienced with cases like this. Marcy couldn't take her eyes from the baby, and Sid knew. He knew she felt it.

"Maternal instinct is kicking in, isn't it, Marce?"

She wrung her hands and bit her lip, never tearing her eyes from the body. "I-I've" She took an unsteady breathe, "These are the smallest remains I've ever worked on, Dr. Hammerback."

Sid shook his head, "How're you taking it, sweetheart?"

"Not well." She chuckled darkly, her accent thickening as a silent sob racked her body, but she refused to move from her position. "I don't know what to do with myself. Doctor Brennan says I should put my heart in a box but-"

"Don't." Sid sat next to her, "first off, it doesn't help. And I'm pretty sure psychologists frown at repression."

The girl chuckled softly and he went on. "Secondly; it's good you feel this way."

"Doesn't feel good," Marcy mumbled, shifting slightly in her uncomfortable plastic chair.

"I know, but it's good for you. It's unnatural to just shut things like this out. It's sad, and it should make you feel bad." Sid nodded solemnly and Marcy eyed him a moment.

"You rhymed that on purpose." She noted, smiling weakly at him.

He chuckled, "you caught me."

"But regardless, these feelings, the sadness, the grief, the utter frustration, will help." Sid said, "They can motivate you to find the guy, or girl, or whatever monster did this. You can bring them to justice." He glanced at the table again, "Did you find a cause?"

"Looks like Shaken Baby Syndrome. But part of the skeleton are missing so it could be an inaccurate hypothesis." She shrugged, but felt considerably better. She looked at the man. "I'm gonna miss you, Sir Sid."

Sid smiled at the nickname and pulled the young woman in for a hug, "I'm gonna miss you too, doctor Allerdyce."

"I'm not a doctor yet."

He shrugged, "I wanted to be the first to say it."

The two chuckled as Marcy wiped her eyes, crying for a completely different reason now.

-

"Six days left."

"Quit being so ominous."

"I'm not being ominous!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

Stella stared at the bickering women. "Now I see where Marcy gets it."

"Yeah." Mac nodded, watching Erica and Josie shout at each other from behind the counter.

This wasn't his ideal setting. When he'd asked Stella if she wanted to go to lunch he'd been thinking of somewhere more…Mac glanced at the women as the blonde threatened to drown the other in spoiled milk, somewhere more normal.

"Why are we here?"

"They have the best hot chocolate in New York." Stella shrugged.

"Why, thank you." Eric popped out from under the counter, electing a jump from the senior CSIs. "At Puffs we strive for…bestness."

Mac inspected the scruffy young man. "I doubt that."

"Fuck you buddy." Eric shrugged, smiling a little, "At Puffs we also believe in wiseassery. Two hot chocolates?"

Mac stared, mouth agape, as Stella nodded, "Thanks, Eric."

"How the hell did you find this place?"

"Marcy works here."

Mac blinked, "you know, some how I'm not as surprised as I should be."

Stella chuckled as her beeper went off. "Drink up, we've got a body in Time Square."

-

"Danny. It's really hard to work this way."

Marcy rolled her eyes as he tightened his grip. Resting his head on her shoulder, Danny sighed, "but this could be the last I see of ya, Marce!"

"No, it won't. Now let go." She attempted to pry his hands from her as he began to sway her back and forth.

"Shh. Shh, its okay, Marce, let it out."

"Let go of me, you-"

"What's going on in here?"

The two looked at Lindsey and Danny quickly dropped the Kiwi.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Marce." He helped her up, receiving a hard smack for his chivalry.

"Bastard."

Lindsey smiled at the pair, before looking at Marcy, who was still glaring at Danny. "Adam know you let Italian men feel you up?"

"Hmm." Marcy smirked, "trust me before you came along, Danny seemed to cling to Donnie, so when he shows females attention we're all just kind of relieved."

"I'm not gay." He growled, earning a 'denial' from the women.

-

"Um, Danny? You have to let her go." Adam stared nervously at the man who lay draped in his girlfriend's lap. Arms once again secure around her waist.

"Ya know, what, Adam? No. Never again." Danny shook his head, "every time I let her go she hurts me, and ya know what? No, I'm not taking the abuse again."

"I hit you because you shook me like a damn ragdoll, Messer." Marcy drawled, rolling her blue eyes as Adam shifted awkwardly in the door frame. "Now you can either let me go or I can tell Mac about you and Montana's little rendezvous-"

In a flash he was off her. "See ya t'morrow, Marce."

"See ya."

The man darted quickly from the room as Adam stared at her from the door way.

"What?" She smiled at him.

"Let me walk you home?" he asked.

Marcy nodded. "Course, Beak. You're gonna stay tonight, right?"

"Not tonight." He shook his head, ignoring the brief look of worry. "Come on."

-

"So…" Marcy looked at him as they stood outside her door. "Wanna tell me why we just went fifteen minutes without speaking?"

Adam looked down at his feet. "We gotta break up."

"What?"

He took a shallow breathe, not daring to look up at her face. "I can't do this Marcy. It's not like-it's not like I knew this wasn't coming, and don't pretend you didn't know either."

Marcy blinked back tears. "You used me."

"What?" Adam's head shot up as some tears slide down her cheeks, "I didn't-"

"Yes you fucking did! We both knew I was leaving, but Christ Adam I fucking love you! But I guess-I guess-" She inhaled deeply, as she shook her head, "Get the hell away from me."

"Marcy, it's not-" Adam reached out to touch her but receive a harsh slap in return. "Marcy!"

"Get away from me! If you wanted sex you should've got yourself a damn whore!"

Adam gawked at her, "It wasn't just sex-"

"Well what than? So I'm leaving, I know, but were you even going to discuss this with me or did you just plan on dumping me in the middle of the fucking hallway, Ross?"

"I just think it would be for the best." He said weakly, watching the tears fall from her dark eyes. "And you're not going to guilt me into believing otherwise."

"I'm not trying to fucking guilt you! I'm trying to-trying to-" She didn't know what she was trying to do. "Just get away from me, Adam."
She let out a soft, defeated sigh, "and I think it'd be better if you stayed away from me."

"I-" He started, but she simply closed the door in his face, the sting seeming worse than before. "I love you, too, Marcy."